This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Current vehicle door handle systems typically include a door handle assembly with a pull strap, pivoting flap or other type of door latch activating device and a bracket or housing holding the handle. The bracket or housing is typically affixed to sheet metal of a vehicle door using a mechanical fastener such as a screw or bolt. Once the bracket is attached to the sheet metal, the remaining components of the door handle assembly may then be attached to the door via the bracket. For example, the pull strap may be assembled to the bracket and additional hardware relating to any locking or latching mechanisms can be installed, if necessary. Once assembled and in use, the pull strap may be pulled relative to the bracket to unlatch the door, although it will be appreciated that variations might be implemented on this basic operation (for example, a grip may need to be first displaced before pulling, one or more sensors may be incorporated to detect the presence of a hand, etc.).
The method of attachment of the bracket to the door can be time consuming and labor intensive. The method typically involves the proper fore/aft positioning of the bracket relative to the door followed by the fastening of one or more screws or bolts to fix the bracket in place relative to the door. The use of threaded fasteners typically requires the use of powered drivers during assembly, which can be time-consuming and require dexterity to drive the fasteners. Further, the fasteners may be sensitive to proper torque application in order to ensure long-term retention of the fore/aft positioning of the bracket relative to the door. Torque sensors may be necessary to ensure that the screw or bolt has been properly tightened to secure the bracket to the door without causing damage to either component. In sum, while mechanical fasteners adequately attach a bracket of a door handle system to a vehicle door, such fasteners add to the overall cost and complexity associated with attaching a handle system to a vehicle door and, therefore, add to the overall cost and complexity associated with assembling a vehicle.